Windies captain rues decision to bat first

Mumbai: West Indies captain Merissa Aguilleira on Tuesday rued her decision to bat first in her side`s must-win Women`s World Cup match but complimented England for a fine all-round show that helped them win by six wickets and qualify for the Super Six stage on Tuesday.

"The wicket helped the bowlers right through the day. The ball was swinging. There was a bit of dampness when we started. I probably should have opted to field. Given a second chance I would do so. But England came up with a good all-round show. Compliments to them," said Aguilleira after their concluding Group A match.

Opting to bat backfired for the West Indies as they were quickly reduced to 31 for six and then recovered to muster 101 which was not enough to stop defending champions England from cruising through after a brief wobble.

England`s second straight win after their shock opening game loss to minnows Sri Lanka has piloted them into the Super six of the competition while the West Indies awaited the result of the final day-night group game between Sri Lanka and hosts India at the Brabourne Stadium.

"We are keeping our fingers crossed. It`s not in our hands," said Aguilleira whose team collapsed in 36.4 overs.

Asked why her team was showing a lot of inconsistency in their performance, the West Indies captain said that was one area her team needs to work upon.

"That`s one area we have to work upon," she said.

West Indies lost their opening game to India by a big margin, thumped Lanka by a huge margin and slumped to a heavy defeat today against England.

England`s player-of-the-match Anya Shrubsole, whose early strikes put West Indies on the ropes, said it was a surprise to see the Windies choosing to bat first.

"It was a bit surprising, but they probably needed to put runs on the board. The ball was swinging around," she said.

Asked why England took 35 overs to chase the small target, Shrubsole, who grabbed 4 for 21 after a devastating first spell of three for eight, said the conditions were helpful to the bowlers and her side needed to ensure they crossed the finish line safely.

"Definitely," she answered when asked whether this was her best-ever show with the ball.